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FAA Safety Team Hosting Another Part 137 Drone Pilot Webinar, September 10th on Professional Aerial Application Organizations; NAAA Speaking on Aviation Safety and Environmental Professionalism Programs

On the evening of September 10, 2024, at 7PM CST, the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) will present a third drone safety webinar for uncrewed aerial application systems’ (UAAS) pilots titled The Ag Drone Podcast – UAS Part 137 Professional Organizations. NAAA CEO Andrew Moore will be speaking as part of the webinar on the importance of belonging and participating in professional industry associations to ensure aviation safety and environmental professionalism.  Also speaking will be Joel Jones, Joel Jones, founder and owner of American Drone, a Wisconsin-based LLC; and Nicholas Matlock, aviation safety inspector with FAA, AFS-752 (Emerging Technologies Division).  To register for the webinar Click here or contact Troy Siekas at (612) 253-4513 troy.siekas@faa.gov. 

Click here to learn more about the previous FAAST drone safety seminars. 
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Air Tractor Hosts Factory Tours for 2024 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo Attendees

Air Tractor invites 2024 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo attendees to factory tours at the company’s Olney, Texas headquarters. This is a unique opportunity to see and learn about the aircraft manufacturing processes, visit with Air Tractor personnel, and enjoy a Tex-Mex meal with fellow Expo attendees.
On November 21, at 8:00 A.M., deluxe motorcoaches will shuttle attendees from the Fort Worth Convention Center to Olney. Participants will tour the facility, and Air Tractor will provide lunch. Guests will arrive back at the Ft. Worth Convention Center around 4:30 P.M.

Ag Aviation Expo attendees must register here and take the designated motorcoaches to attend the tour. Check the Air Tractor website for updates. Seats are limited. Don’t miss this opportunity to see all that goes into producing an Air Tractor airplane.

Tour Details:

  • Date: Thursday, November 21
  • Departure: 8 a.m. from Fort Worth Convention Center
  • Return: 4:30 p.m. to the Fort Worth Convention Center
  • Lunch: Provided at Air Tractor during the tour

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Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship Deadline Extended to Sept. 16

Two $3,000 scholarships are available to eligible NAAA Operator and Pilot members for turbine transition training through the 2024 Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship. The NAAA scholarship program was established in 2023 and has been made possible thanks to a generous educational grant funded by Jim Mills of Turbines Inc. who established the scholarship in memory of Charles Stokes.

The Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship was created to provide training funds to agricultural pilots with a minimum of 150 hours of ag time for use at a turbine transition course or program. The scholarship must be used for turbine flight training at a qualified flight school or turbine training facility. All funds are in U.S. dollars. Please contact NAAA at information@agaviation.org or (202) 546-5722 for clarification about any of the scholarship program requirements.

Eligibility. Applicants must:

  • Have a minimum of 150 hours of ag time. 
  • Be a Pilot, Affiliated Operator or Operator member of NAAA.
  • Be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member in the Operator dues category who will write a letter of recommendation on their behalf. (Operator applicants may not sponsor themselves; another NAAA Operator member would need to sponsor them.)

How to Apply & Deadline
Applicants must apply using the online application process. The deadline is 11:45 p.m. Sept. 16, 2024. Further details and a link to the online application is available here.

Restrictions: Applicants may only apply for one NAAA pilot-training scholarship a year – either the Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship or the NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship, but not both in the same year.

NAAA Operator members may only sponsor one Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship annually. They can sponsor an NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship applicant in the same year, but the applicants can’t be the same person applying for both scholarships.
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In Case You Missed Last Week’s NAAA eNewsletter

Click here for the August 29, 2024 eNewsletter to read:

  • NAAA Earns Strong Media Attention for Cover Crops Press Release
  • NAAA Submits Comments to EPA to Ensure Aerial Application Allowed for Two Pesticides
  • NAAA Mourns the Loss of Jason Wimberly From Fatal Ag Aircraft Accident
  • Operation S.A.F.E. Analyst Training in Mississippi Canceled
  • NAAA Ag Aviation Expo Attendee Registration Open
  • AD Proposed for MD Helicopters 369 and 500 Tail Rotor Pedal Support Brackets
  • AD Issued for Bell 205 Tailboom Attachment Cap Angles  
  • AD Superseded for AT-802 Air Tankers

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